Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
“The voluntary enrollment increase in Iowa shows that people are getting the word about the new prescription drug benefit and how it can help them afford the medicines they need. I hope all eligible Iowans will check out the new benefit and see what they can save. They can call 1-800-Medicare 24 hours a day or visit the Medicare website to learn more about plans available in their areas. Also, the State Health Insurance Information Programs in Iowa have volunteers who can offer beneficiaries one-on-one counseling. It’s a good benefit, it’s available, and I hope people will take full advantage of it if they want to.
“I visit every Iowa county every year, and I’ve been hearing about the drug benefit at town meetings. I hear about how much Iowans are saving from those who are enrolled and using the benefit. I also get questions about how to sort through all the information. Others say that the criticism – much of it partisan – has kept them from looking closely at the benefit. Again, I hope Iowans will take the time to check out their options. The program is now paying for more than a million prescriptions a day nationwide. And as the program grows, more people will save more money.”
According to a calculation by Grassley committee staff, the number of Iowans who enrolled voluntarily in stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans went up 97.38 percent since February. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 72,238 Iowans were enrolled in stand-alone plans as of Feb 11. As of March 18, there were 142,905 Iowans enrolled in such plans. That’s a 239.1 percent increase since January when there were 42,139 Iowans in stand-alone plans.
As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Grassley helped develop the first-ever Medicare prescription drug benefit with legislation enacted in 2003. The benefit became available this year.